The present invention relates generally to vehicles and, more particularly, to rear-view mirrors for vehicles.
Motor vehicles are typically provided with one or more interior and/or exterior rear-view mirrors that allow drivers to see behind a vehicle. Even with multiple conventional rear view mirrors, there is typically an area behind a vehicle that may be difficult to see. This area is referred to as the xe2x80x9cblind spot.xe2x80x9d Various attempts have been made to overcome the blind spot limitation of conventional rear-view mirrors. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,037 to Adams, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,632 to Palathingal. However, vehicle manufacturers are continuously looking for ways to enhance vehicle safety and to reduce manufacturing costs.
In view of the above discussion, interior trim components for vehicle A-pillars that contain one or more integrated rear-view mirrors are provided. According to embodiments of the present invention, a trim component includes a multilayer composite having an exposed or outer layer that includes one or more reflective elements constructed and arranged to provide a rear view image to a driver of a vehicle. According to other embodiments of the present invention, an interior trim component includes a trim panel having a housing that is movably mounted thereto and that is rotatable about a first axis. A reflective element is movably mounted to the housing and is rotatable about a second axis transverse to the first axis. The reflective element is user-adjustable about the first and second axes to provide an adjustable rear view to a driver of a vehicle.